Madison times. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1884-1???, 1887-05-28
WHITE FURNITURE.

One Room That Cost $4,000 to Fir
Up and Another That Cost Only
s25.
No sooner had we furnished our
houses in somber colors with dark ma
hogany and early English furniture of
black oak, which appeared worm-eat-
en-, if it really was not, when, 10! the
dealers inaugurate perfect craze in
white furniture, llght-colored uphol-
stored goods, and from the dignified
and aristocratic English or colonial
styles we became imbued with the pc
riod of Louis Quinze. However. the
dark, rich furniture is too beautiful TO
give up without struggle. and fashion
now dictates that those who can afford
1t shall have each room in their resi-.
dence furnished to represent not only
distinct period. but certain country
as we'll. Thus we have English rooms,
French rooms, colonial, Egyptian. and
Japanese apartments, according to the
purse or fancy. The first white
room" built in New York of any prom
inence is the music-room i'm the Willard
mansion, now owned and occupied by
Mr.. Whitelaw Reid. The floor is high
ly polished in light colored woods, and
the entire apartment is of ivory white,
picked out with gold, and in the panels
of the walls medallons of lutes, RIB
bons, and scrolls of music. A hand
some "white room" has the floor of
polished wood, with here and there a
white Astrakhan rug; the furniture is of
white. picked out with gold. upholster-
ed IN white satin brocade; the curtains
and other draperies are of white plush
embroidered with gold; the picture
frames are white and gold, a white ca
sci stands in one corner, and white
and gold piano. 1t makes a most beau
tiful apartment. Not long ago the
writer described this room TO a clever
young wife who lives in an adjacent
town. She has comparatively little
money but excellent taste; recently she
invited me 10 see her white room"
which she surprised me by saying was
all the result of her own ingenuity, and
cost but little. The wood floor had been
stained and polished to look like cher
ry, and several white fox rugs, which
cost about So. 80 were laid here and there
She had bought several of the tripod-le
ged tables with pine tops. The legs she
painted white with gilt lines. using the
liquid gliding. The tops were covered
with white plush, and another with
white felt with yellow satin bows at
the corners and gold fringe. She also
made mantle scarf of white plush,
trimmed with yellow bows. An old
fashioned, high backed kitchen chair
she painted while and made for it
yellow plush cushion. One of the
ordinary Shaker rocking chars was
also painted white and gold, and over
the red and black braided seat she had
tackled white felt with some yellow
flowers embroidered upon it, while the
back was decorated with yellow
Chinese silk scarf. Plants grew in COM
mon hower-pots. painted white; an
easel was made of pine, painted white,
while over the mantcl was an old
fashioned oval mirror, such as were
used fifteen years ago. Between win
dows she had hung the mirror length
wise and painted its common back wal
nut frame white, looping Il white silk
scarf, with golden figures. around it. A
milking stool, also painted wkite. with
bunch of yellow flowers painted upon
the seat, stood in Il corner; at the win.
dows were white China silk curtains,
tied back with yellow bows. These
curtains. being of the same material as
ell han nd L inf- II,
well. Old, disused walnut picture
frames were also painted and gilded to
match the other articles. And beauti-
full wall bracket was made of a square
of pine board to which was nailed three
little shelves put on irregularly like
three steps. This also was painted
white, gilded on the edges of the
shelves, and hung up by screw-eyes,
which were concealed by yellow bows
"a pretty yellow. A Leeds vase was
one of the ornaments, a white candle
stick, which held a yellow. twisted
candle, choice bit of royal Worcester.
which were among the possessions, and
of course, other ornaments about the
apartment. A bird sang in brass
cage. harmonizing with the decora.
tions. The effect was like fairyland,
and in spite of this fact the pretty
owner of all informed me that this
charming result was reached at cost
not exceeding S25. 1t would be diff
cult TO say which was the more beaut,
full. the white room," with its gor.
geousness and white ano. which
apartment cost in the neighborhood oi
$40, 900. or that of the pretty young
housewife who with little money but
much taste and industry, had created
an apartment unique. beautiful. and.
better than all, showing her own in
dividuality. York. IMaH and E1.
press.